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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605753">The Stars Need a Tale</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cameo_Cat/pseuds/Cameo_Cat'>Cameo_Cat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste Makes Dumb Decisions, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, But they are still unabashedly criminals, Everyone Is Gay, First chapter has big Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, Fluff, Luka Couffaine is a Pirate Captain, M/M, Pirates can be good people, Romance, Sea Monsters, Treasure Hunting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:21:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,750</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605753</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cameo_Cat/pseuds/Cameo_Cat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien Agreste is an orphan working as a stable hand in a noble family’s household. The Graham de Vanily household to be exact. It is a simple life of hard labor but the family treats him kindly and he has a small friendship with the family’s son, Felix. One day the island is attacked by pirates and they force their way into the estate. Adrien helps Felix escape but is taken by the pirates himself when they mistake him for a noble. Now aboard the Siren's Scream, Adrien must keep up the facade to survive. But what happens after he comes face to face with Luka Couffaine, the fearsome yet soft-spoken, guitar playing Captain of the Siren's Scream? Maybe a pirate's life isn't so bad after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sea Shanties Bring Nothing but Trouble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Give me a shilling and I’ll give you a song<br/>
My cup’s in need of filling and the night is long<br/>
I do not know where we’ll sail<br/>
I do not know where we’ll roam<br/>
But the stars need a tale<br/>
And I will sing one for foam</i>
</p>
<p>“Boy!” A hoarse and battered voice snapped at Adrien. The young stable hand immediately clammed up, embarrassed at being overheard. The old coachman hobbled into the stable with a pitchfork in hand and a scowl etched into the deep lines of his face. “Stop singing them sea shanties! Don’t you know those songs are dangerous to be singing? You’ll bring a whole fleet of ne'er do wells and heathens down upon us!”</p>
<p>“Sorry Willard.” Adrien apologized. “It was stuck in my head.”</p>
<p>“Well, you’ll do well to get it out of your head!” The old man knocked the back of Adrien’s knees with the blunt of the pitchfork. “Where’d you even pick up a tune like that?”</p>
<p>“I was at the blacksmith picking up new horseshoes and the lads in there were singing it.” Adrien mumbled.</p>
<p>“Hmph,” Willard rested against the side of one of the stable doors. “I’m not surprised. Those lads don’t have more than a couple of nails for brains in their heads. Don’t they know the danger of singing songs like that?”</p>
<p>“I understand that it is in poor taste but I don’t think a shanty is going to bring pirates down on us, Willard.” Adrien led one of the mares out of her stall.</p>
<p>“Spoken like a young fool.” Willard grumbled, “Get the horses ready. The master and his family are leaving for the fort soon.”</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.” Adrien nodded, obedient. He knew better than to sing those kinds of songs, especially where Willard might hear. As much as Adrien hated pirates and disliked sailors in general he had to admit they made some catchy tunes.</p>
<p>He finished harnessing the horses and handed the reins over to Willard so he could go pick up the family. Adrien trailed after the coach on foot taking the time the walk gave him to look over the town. There was an advantage to be working for one of the wealthiest families on the island and that was the view. The hill the Graham de Vanily’s estate resided on was up high above the bustle of the town. One could see everything from up there. To the north was the military fort, south was the farms, and east laid the village and the port. Watching the sun rise over the ocean horizon was one of Adrien’s favorite things to do.</p>
<p>The song from before wormed its way into Adrien’s thoughts again but he contented himself with only humming it this time. When he got to the front of the mansion he saw the Graham de Vanily family exiting the home and climbing into the coach.</p>
<p>The youngest of the family turned and saw Adrien. He raised his hand in greeting. “Adrien! Good morning!”</p>
<p>“Good morning, mister de Vanily.” Adrien sped up his pace a little to catch up.</p>
<p>“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Felix?” The nobleman’s son sighed.</p>
<p>“Apologies.” Adrien gave a respectful nod of his head, “But I fear the master and lady of the house disapprove of such familiarity.”</p>
<p>“Yes. See?” The lady, Amelie Graham de Vanily fanned herself from inside the coach, “The stable boy has some sense of propriety.”</p>
<p>“It is only, Adrien, my dear,” Master Frederick Graham de Vanily said to his wife. “The boys have known each other practically their entire lives. Let them be a little familiar.”</p>
<p>Growing up Adrien had spent most, if not his entire life, serving the Graham de Vanily family. His mother had been a maid in their household and at any opportunity that Adrien could make himself useful he was. Now with his mother long since passed Adrien was the estate’s stable hand. Before he was properly employed though it seemed his job was to be the friend of Felix since they were so close in age. Adrien being only two years older than him. As children they had often played a game where they would switch spots to see how long it would take everyone else to notice that it was not Felix but Adrien wearing his clothes. The boys did look eerily similar as children apart from their eyes. Adrien had green and Felix’s were a pale grey. Growing older their differences became more pronounced. Adrien was more tanned from working outside and his frame bulkier and stronger than Felix’s pale and lithe scholarly build.</p>
<p>“Hm,” Lady Amelie turned her face away with a small scowl. Adrien had no idea why she disliked him so but didn’t question it. Perhaps it was a difference of classes.</p>
<p>The family loaded into the coach and took off down the hill towards the fort. Adrien went about with the rest of his daily chores before taking a rest to eat. Climbing up into the branches of one of the trees dappled around the mansion his mind started to drift as it often did when he was left alone with his thoughts. Simple thoughts about whether it would rain tonight to more questions about if he was meant to do anything with his life outside of being a stable hand.</p>
<p>He liked his work and the de Vanily family always treated him well. Outside of his work though there wasn’t much of anything at all to his life. His mother died when he was fourteen due to a fever, his father had been a sailor that he never met, he had no siblings, outside of Felix he didn’t even have any friends his own age. Those that he was close to were better classified as acquaintances and co-workers. Hell, he was likely to call the horses he took care of as his friends more than any human being he’s ever interacted with.</p>
<p>It was lonely and more than once Adrien thought of abandoning everything and jumping the next ship out of town. Not that he ever would. To do that would be to leave behind everything he knew. Everything that was comfortable. He didn’t have the first clue as to where he would go or what he would do if he got out into the world. The closest he ever came to a plan was to sail to another town and hope he could get employed as a stable hand over there. It wasn’t exactly a grand change from where he was now.</p>
<p>The chimes of the bells alerted him to the growing lateness of the day and Adrien climbed down from his perch and got back to work. Thoughts of the wonders the world may hold locked up again as he went to meet the coach to take back the horses.</p>
<p>Felix and him talked for a bit before dinner about what they had been at the fort for. Some officer had received a promotion or possibly someone was being honored for the many years of service. Felix couldn’t remember and honestly didn’t care. It seemed they were attending more functions like that every week. Not that there was much else to do in their town.</p>
<p>The night rolled in and Adrien was asleep in the farm loft. He had his own bed in the servant’s quarters but preferred the hay and soft sound of the wind than he did to the snoring of the other servants. Even if it did get colder out in the barn.</p>
<p>
  <i>BANG!</i>
</p>
<p>The noise was enough to startle Adrien awake. Had the barn door not been shut properly. He crawled from his nest of hay and blankets and saw that the door had remained shut. But then what had--</p>
<p>
  <i>BANG!</i>
</p>
<p>Another destructive bang broke the silent air. It sounded like it was coming from the mansion. Quickly grabbing a pitchfork for defense Adrien dashed from the barn. Outside he could hear the commotion much clearer now. He could see it too. Down below at the village, the farms, and even the fort fires raged under the moonlit sky. Out across the horizon sat a large lone ship almost invisible against the inky black ocean.</p>
<p>Pirates? Here?</p>
<p>As stealthily and quickly as he could Adrien drew closer to the house. Sure enough there was a group of vagabonds trying to break down the front door. Thank goodness Master Frederick had insisted on thick solid wood doors. Hopefully these idiot pirates would keep up trying to get through the door before they realized they could more easily break in through one of the windows. Speaking of…</p>
<p>Adrien ran back towards the opposite end of the mansion and climbed up one of the trees closest to the mansion wall. He got to a window and frantically started knocking on it. “Felix!” He shouted in a whisper in hopes of not giving away his location to the pirates, “Felix, it’s Adrien! Open up!”</p>
<p>“Adrien?” Felix’s face emerged from behind the curtains. He quickly unlocked the window and pulled Adrien inside. “What’s going on out there?”</p>
<p>“Pirates.” The sharp sound of breaking glass let Adrien know that the pirates had come to realization about the windows at long last. “We need to get out of here.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>“Back through the window. Climb down and make a run for the woods. The pirates shouldn’t go looking out there.” The sound of pounding feet got louder. The doorknob to the room started to shake and rattle as whoever it is tried to get inside.</p>
<p>A string of swears passed half muttered through Adrien’s thoughts. He braced himself against the door but the person on the other side would break through eventually. “Go!” Adrien urged, “Get out of here.”</p>
<p>“What about you?”</p>
<p>“I’ll be right behind you.” Adrien lied. There was no way he was going to be able to get out the window before the pirates knocked down the door.</p>
<p>“But--” Felix tried to argue.</p>
<p>“Go!” Adrien said more vehemently. Felix gave him one last look before he climbed out the window and onto the tree outside. At the same moment Adrien couldn’t hold the door any longer and the pirates burst in.</p>
<p>“Look at what we got here.” One of the dirty, scabby men aimed a sharp and freshly bloodied sword at him. “This your room, rich boy?”</p>
<p>Rich boy? They must think he’s one of the nobles.</p>
<p>“You’re trespassing.” Adrien tried to sound brave despite the clear threat to his life.</p>
<p>“Aye, that tends to happen in this line of work.” The pirate stepped closer. “What’s your name boy?”</p>
<p>“Adrien...Adrien Graham de Vanily.” He couldn’t be sure why he lied about his name. In the moment all he could think of was buying Felix, and hopefully his family, enough time to get to safety. If they thought he was one of the nobles they may not go out of their way looking for more.</p>
<p>“Ah, so this is your room.” More pirates filtered in grabbing anything that looked of worth and tossing everything that didn’t. “Some pretty trinkets in here but I think we’ve found one even more valuable than any shiny bauble. What say you, lads?”</p>
<p>The other pirates agreed. Those that didn’t have their arms overladen with stolen trinkets grabbed Adrien by either arm and started to drag him from the room. “Right this way, young master.” The pirate gave an exaggerated bow followed by a raucous round of laughter.</p>
<p>He tried to fight against their hold but it was all in vain. There were more of them, hardened and strengthened from years on the sea with weapons he knew they wouldn’t hesitate to use if he became a problem. They descended down the hill away from the mansion through the chaos of the town.</p>
<p>It was even worse seeing the turmoil up close. His home being torn apart and burned as if it was nothing more than trash. That was bad enough but it wasn’t the worst part. No. It was the screams. Screams of fear echoing over everything else. Sharp and full of pain.</p>
<p>The pirates came to the shore with Adrien in tow and tossed him into a boat as the others piled in. Arms overloaded with stolen goods they paddled back to the ship further out in the bay. The sheer size of the ship growing larger and more imposing the closer they got. Adrien swallowed back his nerves as he was forced up the ladder onto the deck of the ship.</p>
<p>“Aye, what do we have here?” A man approached a now bound Adrien. The man was every inch a pirate. Tall, cold eyes, a devilish grin, and the smell of salt and death clinging to him. This had to be the captain.</p>
<p>“My name is Adrien Graham de Vanily,” Adrien said with a confidence he was quickly losing, “Your men stole me from my home.”</p>
<p>“That’s quite a name, boy.” The captain grinned wider, “But the rich can afford to have longer names now, can’t they?”</p>
<p>“I demand you return me home at once!”</p>
<p>“Oh we will,” The captain clapped a hand on his back, “For the right price.” He shoved him back into the group of pirates.</p>
<p>“Take our guest to the brig. Make sure he’s comfortable.” The pirates leered and laughed as they once again dragged Adrien away against his will down below the deck. He was pushed into a small cell and the door locked behind him.</p>
<p>“If the accommodations are not to your liking just let us know.” One of the pirates flashed a smile of blackened teeth at him. “We’ll be sure to come by and fluff your pillow.”</p>
<p>The pirates took off again roaring with laughter. With nothing else to do Adrien sat down on the small plank of wood that passed as a bed in this cell. There the world grew quiet again. Nothing but the lap of the water against the haul and creek of the wood.</p>
<p>What had he gotten himself into? Why hadn’t he just tried to escape with Felix? This was a disaster. They thought he was the son of a noble. They were going to try ransoming him back to his family. What would they do once they found out he wasn’t actually part of the de Vanily family? At best they’d say he wasted their time and kick him off at the next port, at worst they’d kill him.</p>
<p>Who knows, maybe the family would pay it. After all, Adrien had always been a good employee and friend to Felix. There may be a chance…</p>
<p>Oh who was he kidding! He was a servant and nothing more. They’d maybe feel guilty for a day and then go out and hire another stable hand like Adrien never existed.</p>
<p>The only way Adrien was getting out of here was on his own. He’d have to be smart and try to keep up the facade as long as he could. They won’t kill him if they think he’s worth anything. With some luck he just may be able to escape but even he knew that was a long shot. Right now his only plan was to survive as long as possible.</p>
<p>What felt like a lifetime later the ship lurched and Adrien watched through a crack in the hull as the silhouette of his home became smaller and smaller before disappearing altogether.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Captain on Deck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrien meets the captain</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrien was able to fall asleep for a few hours at some point in the night. He really wasn’t meant for the sea as he found out when his restlessly churning stomach made him heave until there was nothing left but a sour taste in his mouth and a puddle of regrets on the floor. Why hadn’t he just said he was a servant? They might have left him alone. Then he wouldn’t be a prisoner on this ship and he could have spent this morning helping to repair the estate.</p>
<p>Instead he was woken by a pair of pirates who hauled him out of his cell and out onto the open deck. Despite being filled with pirates the ship looked a lot less foreboding in the daylight. It was a strange but small sense of comfort in the hailstorm of shit he was in.</p>
<p>He squinted against the blinding light of day and saw that they were docked at a town. For a fleeting moment Adrien hoped it was his town but it was quickly dashed when he saw the state of it. This was a pirate town. You could smell it in the air.</p>
<p>Several minutes went by and everyone stood to attention. Adrien was forced into standing up straight as a new man climbed aboard the ship. Instantly Adrien was struck dumb. The man that had appeared was tall, the white tunic he wore displayed a generous amount of his muscular chest, blue beads and silver ringlets woven throughout his long dark hair. It was his eyes that Adrien couldn’t look away from most. They were as blue as sapphires and glinted just as brilliantly in the sun. Those same haunting blue eyes were staring right at Adrien with intensity.</p>
<p>He walked closer, each step timed perfectly with Adrien’s heart. He scanned Adrien up and down for a few seconds before turning to the captain that Adrien had met last night. “First Mate Lê Chiến, come here,” Gods, even his voice was magnetic. He pointed a finger at Adrien. “Who is that?”</p>
<p>“This is Adrien Graham de Vanily, Captain. A rich nobleman’s son we kidnapped from our last raid.” Lê Chiến said proudly.</p>
<p>Wait. So this Lê Chiến fellow wasn’t the captain and the handsome man with the bright blue eyes was? Adrien’s mother always did say the devil would be beautiful. Adrien just didn’t take it that literally.</p>
<p>No! Stop drooling over the pirate captain! It was his crew that pillaged Adrien’s home and stole him. He shouldn’t be thinking about a filthy no good pirate this way.</p>
<p>“Okay.” The captain nodded, “Why?”</p>
<p>“So we could ransom him back to his hoity toity family.” First Mate Lê Chiến answered.</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>Lê Chiến looked to the others for clarification when none came. “I don’t follow?”</p>
<p>“How is this family supposed to pay a ransom to us when we are on the run out in the open sea?”.</p>
<p>“Well...we’d um...we’d go back and hold their boy at gunpoint! Just in case they tried anything sneaky while we collected the loot.” Lê Chiến said, trying to discreetly put some distance between him and the enraged captain.</p>
<p>“Yes. Go back to the island that you just pillaged with the boy that you kidnapped from a wealthy and powerful family that has most definitely already employed their navy to go out and search for and rescue him. Surely if we went back we wouldn’t be outnumbered and shot on sight.” The captain snapped. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his long hair.</p>
<p>“I see your point.” Lê Chiến straightened himself.</p>
<p>“I’m assuming you left a ransom note?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>“What did it say?”</p>
<p>“It said that we took their son and if they wanted to see him alive again they would pay us a thousand gold pieces. And we said that if we don’t receive the money in a week’s time he’d be sleeping with the fishes.”</p>
<p>“So no meet up spot? No other instructions? No threats to leave all military personnel out of this arrangement? None of that?”</p>
<p>“It was implied?”</p>
<p>“Why do I suffer with you as my first mate again?”</p>
<p>“It’s not that bad.”</p>
<p>“Not that bad? You kidnap the son of a noble and leave a note threatening to kill him if they don’t give us the ransom with no other instructions and you think that it isn’t that bad? If this powder face is as important as you’re making him sound then we are going to have nothing short of their entire naval fleet hunting us down you imbecile!” The captain fumed, grabbing his first mate by the lapels of his coat. “You have doomed us!”</p>
<p>“Captain, I--”</p>
<p>The captain shoved him away and began yelling to the crew. “All hands on deck! Put as much open ocean as you can between us and the island! Now! Lê Chiến, take the powder face back to the brig. I need time to figure out how to fix your mistake. If anyone disturbs me I’ll be throwing them overboard!” With that the captain disappeared into his quarters.</p>
<p>The pirates went about fulfilling the orders of their captain. Lê Chiến grabbed Adrien by the back of his shirt and dragged him back down to the brig. This was not good. If they thought Adrien a danger then they may kill him. He wasn’t sure what was worst. If he kept pretending to be a noble there was every chance that the pirates would end up killing him. If he told them he was just a servant and so no one would be coming to rescue him then he would definitely be killed. At least as a nobleman there was a chance that they’d keep him alive so to ransom him back if they should run into any navy forces.</p>
<p>The day dragged on and Adrien was really starting to feel the pangs of hunger having not had anything to eat since yesterday evening. He was also parched. What he would give for a large glass of water right now. The water sloshing around at his feet taunted him. Whether the pirates believed he was a noble meant nothing if he starved to death in this prison. They were going to give him something to eat, weren’t they?</p>
<p>The cracks of sunlight that peered in turned dark as night settled in. Adrien clutched at his stomach. Sick enough to puke but nothing in him to puke up.</p>
<p>He heard steps approaching and raised his head to see one of the crew coming down to him. Hopefully they would have something to give him to eat.</p>
<p>“Boy,” The crewman barked at him as he opened the cell door, “Captain wants to see you.”</p>
<p>“Wonderful,” He stood up, “Does this meeting include food because I am quite literally starving.”</p>
<p>“Come up and see,” He grabbed him and hauled him back on deck. Adrien was starting to get tired of all this dragging around. Would it be so much for them to ask him to walk? Was the shoving and pulling necessary?</p>
<p>He was brought through a pair of doors leading to the captain’s quarters. The large cabin was illuminated in soft candlelight. Shelves lined with books and various odd treasures and curiosities covered the walls. A large table covered in maps and other papers sat at the center by the large windows. To the right a bed was built into the wall sectioned off from the rest of the room by curtains. To the left was another table, this one blanketed in a beautiful spread of food. Bread, pork, grapes, apples, steaming cooked potatoes, cheese, wine, and even a tray of chocolates. Adrien’s mouth watered at the sight.</p>
<p>Sitting at the table was Captain Couffaine. “Thank you, Mister Kanté. You may have your leave now.”</p>
<p>The man that escorted Adrien left, closing the doors behind him. “Come, sit,” The captain gestured to the empty seat across from him, “I’d like to have a word with you.”</p>
<p>“Am I correct in suspecting this has to do with the ransom over my head?” Adrien took the chair but did not make any move for the food despite how it made his stomach clench.</p>
<p>“Indeed,” The captain poured out two glasses of wine and slid one to Adrien, “Eat first, you must be hungry.”</p>
<p>“Do you usually go to such length for your prisoners?” Adrien asked as he started putting food on his plate. The urge to tear into it like a ravenous animal was great but he held off. When the first bite hit his tongue he couldn’t contain the moan that escaped which could only be described as obscene. He may have even been embarrassed if he wasn’t so hungry.</p>
<p>“Think of it as a sort of apology for my men abducting you mister…”</p>
<p>“Adrien. Adrien Graham de Vanily.”</p>
<p>“Graham de Vanily. I believe I know that name. Is it in anyway affiliated with the Lord Graham de Vanily?”</p>
<p>“My grandfather. Yes.” Adrien had only met Lord Ezekial Graham de Vanily once when he was a child playing with Felix. The old man had been surly and quite upset that Felix’s parents let him play with the lowly son of a maid. It was the first real rift in Adrien’s friendship with Felix.</p>
<p>“That makes you very valuable then, doesn’t it?” The captain nodded, “Sooner or later that title will pass on down to you.”</p>
<p>“In time, yes,” Adrien swallowed back his nerves.The captain was far more relaxed then when Adrien saw him before but that didn’t make him less intimidating. If anything, seeing him cast in shadows only made him more ominous. Adrien didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t quite make out his face.</p>
<p>“So is it safe to assume that there will be naval forces out searching for you? For us?” Captain Couffaine took a sip of his wine.</p>
<p>“Most certainly,” Adrien lied, “Being the only child of a lord and all…”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Captain Couffaine frowned slightly. He sat forward with his arms resting on the table. His face was all at once illuminated completely by the candlelight. Adrien almost wished he’d go back to being in the shadows. At least when he couldn’t make out his face he wasn’t mesmerized by it. Those big blue eyes all the brighter in the flickering candlelight made Adrien squirm in his seat. He took another large bite of bread to busy himself.</p>
<p>“We are not normally in the business of ransoming people due to how quickly it can go pear shaped if certain precautions are not adhered to.” The captain explained, “Had I been on the ship when my men pirated your estate I would have thrown you back to land when they brought you aboard. At the very least I would have made better plans to ransom you back then my first mate did. Kim is a fine pirate, one of my oldest friends, and I’d trust him with my life but he lacks a certain savoir-faire when it comes to these sorts of matters.”</p>
<p>“I see,” Adrien took a large gulp of wine. Not bad but he’d still rather chug a whole barrel of water. “Why is that you weren’t a part of the raid on my town? I saw that you rejoined your crew only after my capture.”</p>
<p>“I had some business to attend to that took longer than expected. I trusted my first mate to keep things orderly during my time away. The men needed paid and Kim has done raids by himself before so I figured he wouldn’t permit something like kidnapping to happen. Clearly I was wrong.”</p>
<p>“That’s all well and good but what does it mean for me?” Adrien asked, “You say it is too dangerous to ransom me back to my family yet you know that the navy searches for me. What do you intend for me now?”</p>
<p>“That is what I have yet to decide, Mister de Vanily.” The captain answered, “If I keep you I will undoubtedly be hunted by the navy until they either tire of their chase, which is unlikely, or you are returned. Even if you are peacefully returned I do not see any reason they would not try to kill me and my crew after. If I let you go at a port to return home by yourself then I am seen as soft, my leverage if I run across the navy is lost, and any kind of price you are worth goes with you. So you can see the conundrum I’m in.”</p>
<p>“Keep me and run for fear of dying or let me go and lose any advantage or gain you have.” Adrien’s odds of getting out of here unscathed were looking worse and worse, “For curiosity’s sake, tell me, what would happen if there was no navy chasing you? Say they didn’t send out forces to look for me? What happens then?”</p>
<p>“Since the likelihood of that, you stated, is none then I see no reason to entertain the thought. Not when the real issue is much more pressing.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Adrien sighed, he really wasn’t getting out of this. “Tell me, is it really seen as being soft if you let me go? Like you said, you have your entire crew to worry about and I think they would prefer living with the knowledge that they let a ransom go then die fighting naval forces. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement. You give me my freedom and I give you my word that the navy will not hunt you, in regards to me at least.”</p>
<p>“Sorry if I do not take your word for it, mister de Vanily. You may promise one thing but that does not mean that you will be listened to.” Captain Couffaine reached for a guitar propped against the wall and picked it up, plucking at the strings.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Adrien ventured after the captain didn’t say anything more.</p>
<p>“Thinking,” he answered simply.</p>
<p>For a few minutes Adrien just sat there not knowing what to do. He hadn’t been dismissed but the captain had stopped talking. Instead he concentrated on the simple tune the captain played. Adrien’s fingers tapped on the table mimicking the melody like an echo.</p>
<p>Finally the captain paused and looked over at Adrien. Adrien placed his hands on his lap, embarrassed.</p>
<p>“Do you play?” Captain Couffaine asked.</p>
<p>“Oh um, sorta, not really,” Adrien answered, “My mother taught me how to play piano when I was very small but I don’t ever have the chance to play anymore. The most I get to do is a short tune after everyone at the church has left.”</p>
<p>“Music frowned upon in the manor?”</p>
<p>“Not unless there is a gala. Which is a shame because they have the most beautiful grand piano and it sits there gathering dust day in and day out.” Adrien sighed. Adrien got to play on it once when the Master and Lady were gone and Felix assured him at least fifty times he was okay to do so. Unfortunately Master de Vanily and his wife came home far earlier than they expected and Adrien was reprimanded harshly. He never went near the piano again after that.</p>
<p>“Shame I don’t have a piano here. Would have liked to hear someone else’s music besides my own for once.” Captain Couffaine sighed.</p>
<p>Adrien traced the rim of his wine glass. “You have made this a very strange kidnapping, Captain Couffaine.”</p>
<p>“Have many kidnappings, mister de Vanily?”</p>
<p>“No. This would be my first. I was surprised with you.”</p>
<p>“Me?”</p>
<p>“Yes. You see, I’ve never been the most fond of pirates or sailors in general. Not even in tall tales. They were all the same thing. Users. Manipulative dirtbags that abuse innocents. No morals. No brains. No manners.”</p>
<p>“You do realize you are on a pirate ship with a pirate captain right now? Is insulting us really so wise?”</p>
<p>“If you would let me finish,” Adrien continued, “This conversation has proven enlightening. You have a brain and manners and even morals. If you weren’t the captain of a pirate crew I may even call you a good man.”</p>
<p>“And that is where you are wrong.”</p>
<p>“Are you saying that you are not a good man?”</p>
<p>“No. I am saying that being a pirate and being a good man are not mutually exclusive. Pirating is what I do. It is in my blood. I may be a criminal but I am not a sociopath or a sadist. I sail the seas, drink, pillage, and play my guitar.”</p>
<p>“One of those ends in a hanging though.” Adrien pointed out.</p>
<p>“The men need to be paid for their work and as much as we may all love the sea that is not payment enough. Especially when some have families they need to support.” Captain Couffaine countered.</p>
<p>“Why not do honest work then? Be a trading charter? You still get to sail and see the world with an income and no chance of you ending up hanging from a noose.”</p>
<p>“Employment is not freedom and it is certainly not as fun.”</p>
<p>“So you’d rather risk your life for a few thrills then to live a long peaceful life?”</p>
<p>“Aye.” Captain Couffaine grinned, “Tell me, Adrien Graham de Vanily, how happy were you really in your fancy estate? How thrilling was it to have your endless days of scheduled boredom where you cannot so much as play your own piano? You look at my life and say that it is wrong but at least I am living with no regrets. Can you say the same?”</p>
<p>Adrien’s hands began to tremble in his lap. The captain’s words struck an odd chord with him. Adrien had thought many times of leaving the Graham de Vanily estate for newer sights. There were days where he loathed his routine. Days where the loneliness of his life dragged him down into dark places he had to claw to bring himself out of.</p>
<p>It was in that moment that Adrien realized that this pirate had something that he had long since lost. A life worth living. He may not understand Captain Couffaine completely or agree with him on everything but he saw a man that was trying to live a life with no regrets. A man that lived as he wanted to and to hell with what anyone else may think. This pirate captain was happy, free, and had people that relied on him and who would worry about him. Adrien had lost all of that long before he was made a prisoner on this ship.</p>
<p>“I say that I would like to go back to my cell now. If it pleases you of course.”</p>
<p>Captain Couffaine sighed but nodded. Without a word he escorted him back down to the brig and locked Adrien in. He meandered at the door for a moment watching Adrien before turning and disappearing back up onto the deck.</p>
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